A cobporation of illi



UNITED STATES i Patented March 1, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE. v

DANIEL A. KIMBARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC SPECIALTYCO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLI- NOIS.

LA NIP SOCKET AND PLUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,276, dated March 1,1904.

Application filed May 21, 1902. Serial Ho. 108,313. (No model.)`

To a/ZZ whom, it ,may concermi Be it known that I, DANIEL A. KIMBARK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Lamp Sockets and Plugs, of which the followingv is a full, clear, andexact specification.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of lamp sockets andplugs used on lamps known as berth-lights7 and is shown in connectionwith such; but this is done for convenience of illustration anddescription, and it will be understood' that the invention is applicableto other uses where plugs and sockets are desirable; and the inventionhas for its primary object to provide a compact and simple form of plugand .socket of thisgeneral description.

With these ends inview my invention consists in certain features ofnovelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts bywhich the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearingare attained, all as tully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims. In the saiddrawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a berth-light, showing theplug and socket in longitudinal section; and Fig.` Q is a transversesectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

I is the electric light or lamp, which is provided, as usual, with asupporting arm or bracket 2, through which the conductor-wires pass, butwhich may be regarded as any other electrical appliance to be suppliedwith current through my improved socket and plug. To the lower end ofthe arm Eis secured a hub or joint-stock 3, which passes through anopen.

number of notches 8, through which the lugs 7 pass when the stock 3 isinserted and when inserted beyond the inner edge of the plate 4 may beturned or rotated so as to engage with such inner face, and thereby lockthe stoel; in place, the outer end of the barrel 5 being cut away, asshown at 9, for the movement ofthe pins or lugs 7.

The barrel 5 is formed with a shoulder or internal iiange 10, againstwhich abuts a contact-collar 11, which is connected through the barrel 5with one of the conductors or linewires 12. One end of the collar 11 isprovided with a reduced extension 13, which is considerably thinner thanthe main portion of the collar, so that the same may be flared outwardlyin the formpof'a funnel-shaped mouth for receiving the end of acontact-sleeve 111. This sleeve 14 is also provided with a reduced endor extension 15, which is adjoined to the larger part of the sleeve by aconical-shaped portion 16, and surrounding this reduced extension andconical-shaped portion is an insulating-sleeve 17, which is ofsubstantially the same diameter as the maximum diameter of thecontact-sleeve 14. The purpose of this particular formation is toprovide for an internal insulating-sleeve 18 in the larger part ofsleeve la without necessitating any increase in the diameter of the end15, thereby allowing room for a second insulating-sleeve 19 to be placedaround the reduced end 15 for separating the latter from the joint-stock3. The sleeves 1 8 and 19 are screw threaded, the former externally andthe latter internally, and the larger part of the contact-sleeve 10screw-threaded internally, while the smaller part 15 screw-threadedexternally for receiving these threaded insulating-sleeves. One end ofsleeve 18 is' made conical on the exterior, as shown at 20, to lit theconical part 16 internally, and one end of insulating-sleeve 19 is madeflaring, so as to it the conical part 20, and thus constitute continuoussurfaces on both the interior and exterior of the plug. The joint-stockor hub Slis screw-threaded on the insulating-sleeve 19 and is secured toor formed on the arm or bracket 2 ofthe lampiixture in any suitable Way.

Within the insulation-sleeve 18 is screwed or otherwise secured ahousing 21 for a reciprocating plunger 22, adapted to .slide back andforth therein and which when pushed outward impinges against a contact23, screwed in or otherwise secured to the barrel 5`of the socket andhaving an aperture 24 or other means for the attachment of one of thewires or conductors 25, the contact 23 being of course insulated fromcontact-collar 11 by the barrel 5. The plunger contact 22 is thus forcedoutwardly by means of a coil-spring 26 or other suitable cushion locatedbetween the plunger and the inner end of the housing 21 and surroundingaguide-stem 27, formed on or secured to the plunger and passing throughthe end of the housing 21, which is contracted around the stem to form ashoulder for the abutment of spring 26. One of the conductors (28) isconnected to housing 21, arranged within sleeves 15 18 and of coursecovered with suitable insulation, so as to avoid short-circuiting withsleeve 15.

As shown in Fig. 2, the lugs or pins 7 engage in countersinks orrecesses 29 in the back of face-plate 4 after they are inserted and thebracket has been turned upv to its proper position, and the backwardpush produced by the spring-actuated plunger holds the pins or lugs 7 inthe recesses 29, and when the plug is used on a lamp of the characterdescribed the pins are thus enabled to hold the lamp in an uprightposition, and they also prevent it from rattling.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.' In a device for the purpose described the combination with a socketcomprising two insulated contacts,of a plug comprising a springactuatedplunger adapted to connect with one of said contacts and a contactadapted to slide over and connect with the other of said contacts andconductors electrically communicating with said contacts and plugrespectively, said insulated contacts being arranged successively in theline of movement of the plug whereby the said contact of the plug willslide over one of them while approaching the other and the two may befar removed from each other, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device for the purpose described the combination with a socketcomprising two nsulated contacts, of a plug comprising a contact adaptedto engage with one of said contacts, a plunger-housing, a plunger insaid housing, a contact-sleeve surrounding said housing and insulatedtherefrom and adapted to engage with the other one of said contacts inthe socket, and conductors electrically communicating with saidplunger-sleeve and contacts respectively, said insulated contacts beingarranged-in succession in the direction of bodily movement of the plugwhereby the plug will slide against one while approaching the other andthe two may be far removed from each other, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device for the purpose described the combination with a socketcomprising two insulated contacts, of a plug comprising aplunger-housing, a plunger in said housing adapted to connect with oneof said contacts, a contactsleeve surrounding said housing and insulatedtherefrom and adapted to engage the other one of said contacts, saidsleeve having a reduced end, a joint-stock surrounding said reduced endand insulated therefrom, means in connection with said joint-stock andsocket for locking the joint-stock in the socket and conductorselectrically communicating with said plunger, sleeve and contactsrespectively, substantially as set forth.

4. In a device for the purpose described the combination with a socketcomprising two insulated contacts, of a plug comprising aplunger-housing, a plunger in said housing adapted to engage one of saidcontacts, a contactsleeve surrounding said housing and insulated fromsaid plunger and adapted to engage the other one of said contacts, saidsleeve having a reduced end, an insulating-sleeve surrounding saidreduced end, a joint-stock surrounding said insulating-sleeve, and meansin connection with said joint-stock and socket for locking thejoint-stock in the socket, and conductors electrically communicatingwith said plunger, sleeve and contacts respectively, substantially asset forth.

5. In a device for the purpose described the combination with a socketcomprising two insulated contacts, of a plug comprising aplunger-housing', a plunger in said housing adapted to engage one ofsaid contacts, a contactsleeve surrounding said housing and insulatedfromsaid plunger and adapted to engage the other one of said contacts,said contact-sleeve having a reduced end, an insulating-sleeve securedon said reduced end and being of substantially the same diameter as saidcontactsleeve, a joint-stock secured on said insulating-sleeve and meansin connection with said joint-stock and socket for locking thejointstock in the socket and conductors electrically communicating withsaid plunger, contactsleeve and contacts respectively, substantially asset forth.

6. In a device for the purpose described the combination with a socketcomprising two insulated contacts and a face-plate secured to saidsocket and having a passage for a plug provided in its edge with one ormore notches, of a plug comprising` two contacts adapted to engage withthe aforesaid contacts respectively and one or more pins radiating fromsaid plug and adapted to pass through said notches and engage behindsaid face-plate for locking the plug in the socket, substantially as setforth.

7. In a device for the purpose described the combination with a socketcomprising two in- IOO IIO

sulated contacts, of a plug comprising a plunger-housing, aspring-actuated plunger in said housing', an insulating-sleevesurrounding said housing and having a tapered end, a contactsleevesurrounding said insulating-sleeve and adapted to contact with one ofthe aforesaid contacts and having a reduced end and a tal pered portionjoining said reduced end to the main portion thereof, aninsulating-sleeve surrounding said reduced end, a joint-stocksurrounding said second insulating sleeve, and means in connection withsaid joint-stock for securing the plug in said socket, and conductorselectrically communicating With said plunger and contacts respectively,substantially as set forth.

F. A. Horms, W. D. CROSS.

